The Reasons I love you
by Lonesome Courier
Summary: Takes place during the episode 'Yellowjacket.' Jan is feeling depressed after Hank's death and a little rueful. She never really told Hank how she felt about him. And he never did either. But is Hank really dead? And can they patch up their relationship before it officially breaks?
1. Chapter 1

The Reasons I love you

Chapter One, Mistake

It was noon in Manhattan. Most people were either going to lunch or still stuck at the office. The streets weren't too crowded yet. The sun was shining down on the city brightly.

In one corner of the borough there was a large apartment building. Many people were entering or exiting quickly. There was one person, however, who ignored all the others. Her short, auburn hair would've been more recognizable if she had been wearing black and yellow spandex.

Hurriedly, she made her way through the lobby of her apartment building and into the elevator. She wasted no time in pretending to be happy. Because to her, today wasn't a very joyful day. In fact, it was the exact opposite.

 _Right from the start you were a thief you stole my heart, and I your willing victim_

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it," Muttered Janet as the elevator took her up. She wiped the tears from her cheeks. She couldn't stop them now, nor did she want to," I just can't believe he's gone. And I didn't even get to say good-bye."

Once she reached her floor she didn't bother to greet anyone on this floor either. Rushing to her suite, she ignored anyone who tried to engage her in conversation.

Once she reached her room she locked the door. She didn't care that her makeup was running and her clothes would be ruined. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

 _I let you see the parts of me that weren't all that pretty, and with every touch you fixed them_

"I still can't believe he's gone." She muttered grabbing a tissue box and taking it to the love seat in her living room. Turning on the television, she tried to numb her mind to the fact that the only person she had loved in the world, maybe even the universe, had died today. And she hadn't even told him how she'd felt.

 _Now you've been talking in your sleep_

However, no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept going back to him. The tall, scientist with sandy hair. His innocent blue eyes yearning for her. How many nights had she dreamt about him? About him returning, to the Avengers? Promising to give her, and the Avengers, another chance? How she had longed for not only his return, but this gentle touch as well.

The gentle touch that said everything would be okay. That everything, eventually, would go back to the way it had been before. But Janet knew now that nothing would be as it was before. Not now, and probably not ever.

The dreams and memories flooded her like a dam about to burst. She grabbed a tissue from the box next to her and began to blow. As hard as she could she blew. And didn't stop. Grabbing another tissue, she went back to the TV screen. Unfortunately, it was on a commercial break.

Which meant Jan's mind could roam anywhere it wanted. About anything it wanted. And that, right now, was a bad thing. No, not a bad thing. A terrible, awful, horrendous thing. Because in reality, Jan couldn't afford to think about Hank. About Hank's death.

To distract herself, Jan decided to play with her cellphone. She grabbed the small, yellow device off the coffee table in front of her. Immediately, she went to the missed calls file. She noticed there were four and all were fairly recent. The latest one was from yesterday.

Pressing the 'play' button Jan decided to listen to them. She knew it couldn't hurt, seeing as she had nothing better to do. That and she needed to take her mind off of Hank. It just hurt too damn much to think about him right now. She needed a distraction and she knew that drinking and drugs wouldn't help her.

 _Ooh things you never say to me_

It was true; she had never really told Hank she had loved him. And he hadn't told her that either. There was once he might've tried, but that was in the past. It was over now. He was dead and she had to move on.

Having not really heard her first missed call, she replayed it. Immediately, the voice of her agent brought her back to the present. He had called about some designs for her new fashion line, which Jan had already emailed him. She deleted that one and went onto the next.

The second one was from Carol, one of her best friends and fellow Avengers. Of course, Carol wanted to know if Jan was okay. Of course she wasn't okay. What kind of question was it? Jan deleted it and listened to the next one.

This one was from Tony, and similar to the first one. He as well wanted to know if she was okay. And, maybe, if she felt up to it, would attend Hank's funeral later on that afternoon. He understood, of course, if she chose not to attend.

She swiftly got rid of that one and moved onto the last message. She looked at her caller I.D. Despite her gut feeling, she decided to play it anyway. Mostly, because she was curious. And partly because she wanted to hear what he had to say. Especially after all this time. Hell, it had been since someone had decided to use Hank's Ant-Man/Giant-Man suit on the news that she had seen him.

That strong tenor always made her weak at the knees. And even though she was sitting on the couch, she could still feel her knees give out.

 **Jan, I know we haven't seen each other in a long time but that doesn't matter. I want to tell you that I've been working on something. Something that will help me, help us.**

 **You told me that I could help the Avengers with my science. And I think I've found a way to do that. I'm designing a new suit I call 'Yellow Jacket'. I know you'll like it. It was designed to match yours. To be more like you.**

 **I know quitting the Avengers hurt you, and it hurt me too. What I meant to say last time was that I'm sorry. Really I am. I know how you must feel about me right now. And well, I've moved past that. I know I wasn't the perfect boyfriend, but I'm hoping this will help you forgive me.**

 **Well see you around, I hope.**

Janet stared down at the pink carpet. She almost couldn't believe her ears. She questioned whether what she had just heard was true. Was it? She couldn't afford not to believe it. Yet, she wasn't sure if this really was Hank, or just some robot he had used to record his voice.

With precision and speed, Jan reawakened her phone from its temporary sleep. Going back to her missed calls, she checked the time. 10:30pm yesterday. So it was before he had died.

 _Ooh tell me that you've had enough, of our love, our love_

Finally, Jan couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't keep her resolve. Letting it all out, Jan's eyes overflowed with tears. Fast and furiously they came down her cheeks. Jan knew she had to let it out sometime. She just didn't realize that it would be at this moment.

* * *

 _Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough_

 _Just a second we're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again_

In an underground lab far from Jan's apartment was a brunet scientist. He worked diligently at his table. His azure eyes had bags under the bags. Rarely did he sleep, or even eat. Most of the time, his physical and mental capacity were spent on his work.

Ever since his "death" and even before his apparent death, Hank Pym had been spending time in his underground lab as well as the one at Grayburn College. For the most part he was alive and doing as well as someone like him could be.

This place had become more than just his lab, as the armchair, TV set, miniature fridge and punching bag indicated. It had become his home, at least temporarily. At least, ever since he had quit the Avengers.

During the months since his leave he had decided to build another lab. One that could give him everything he needed, while still allowing him to get what he needed.

Yes, his lab at Grayburn had been a ruse. A con, an act. The only thing he had really used Grayburn for was to make sure the Avengers believed him. And even Janet had believed him.

 _It's in the stars, It's been written on the scars on our hearts_

Tony had been right about it. About everything. He hadn't slept in weeks, not real true sleep. Whenever he closed his eyes, it was usually over some late night project. And for his meals, he had consumed mostly pizza. Occasionally, he could order Chinese or take-out if he was feeling really hungry.

And he had called Tony. He had wanted Tony to see what he had made. However, he hadn't meant for Janet to come. Janet was an extra variable that he hadn't accounted for. It certainly had surprised him that Tony had brought her along. Then again, Jan was obstinate and couldn't be persuaded very easily.

But hadn't he already hurt her enough? First with quitting the Avengers, then when he had called her after he had left the mansion? So why had she decided to come and see him anyway? Even though he had expressed that Tony bring no one, and even though he had already hurt Jan?

Hank decided it was time to stop thinking about he and Jan's broken relationship. And start thinking about what he could do to fix it. Taking a break from his work, he took off his lab coat and wrapped his hands.

 _That we're not broken just bent_

 _And we can learn to love again_

Immediately his fists began pounding the bag. Left and right, left and right, over and over again. A series of continuous jabs at an enemy that couldn't even defend itself. But he didn't care. He kept going, all the while trying not to think of Janet Van Dyne.

The way her short, auburn hair reminded him of his first love. Her blue fiery eyes filled with determination and perseverance.

Just thinking about her made Hank more aggressive. His barrage of hits never lessened. His mind instantly went back to the phone call he had made to her yesterday. Before she had decided to pay him a visit against his wishes.

His mind shifted from the current moment, to Jan. Soon he couldn't tell the difference between his fist and the bag. He only knew that if he didn't do this he would truly go crazy.

 _I'm sorry I don't understand where all of this is coming from_

 _I thought that we were doing fine_

Yet no matter how hard he tried, he always found himself back at square one. The one person who had supported him no matter what. The one person he knew he could count on, and trust. The only person who truly knew him, aside from his friends in the scientific community.

But was their relationship truly at an end? Or was this a new beginning that he just hadn't seen or predicted?

 _(Oh, we had everything)_

He could still hear her sweet soprano in his head. Floating in his heads and his memories every day. Not a day went by when his thoughts didn't go to her. Not a day, not a minute, and not a second. His thoughts were almost always consumed with her and whatever new project he happened to be working on at the moment.

 _Your head is running wild again, my dear we still have everything_

But now he was ready. Ready to do whatever it took. Ready to do what it took to be with her. To be her man. Or whatever she needed him to be. Even if it was only friends, it was better than not being in her life at all.

Eventually he didn't even see the punching bag. Instead, he let his mind wander like it did most days. And today, it chose to remember Janet. Not just recall how good her hair smelled, or how beautiful she had looked on a particular day. No, he decided to recall everything and every moment he had ever had with Janet before and during the Avengers.

Seeing her for the first time in his lab at Grayburn, walking behind her father Vernon Van Dyne. Her father had been a short, stout man with thick russet. That day he had sported a beige business suit, which Pym remembered Jan railing him for.

The next when Jan had first visited him in his lab, after her father had been killed by the mysterious alien. That was the day he had given Janet and himself superpowers. It was a day he would never forget, and hoped she hadn't either.

Another time, when Jan had decided to visit his lab and she had left. This time, not to go to a meeting, but to apprehend a super villain. That was when Hank, being a pacifist, had warned her against using her powers to play the hero. Of course, he hadn't expected her to take down Whirlwind that way. Heaven only knew what could've happened if Janet hadn't been there to catch him.

And the time when he had had to fight Klaw for that Vibranium piece. Her arms wrapped around his neck and a loving smile on her face.

So why couldn't they have more of those? Why did he have to leave? Why had he left? Why hadn't he tried to fix their relationship?

* * *

Author's Note: Once again, I acknowledge that it's been some time since I've posted anything new (at least for Marvel anyway. If you're interested in the Fallout series, check out my recent story Lost Souls). Especially since this story was originally posted three years ago! At any rate, I noticed there was a tiny error with the story so I decided to repost the story. Thank you to The Solar Surfer for originally reviewing this story (and pointing out this chapter's one fatal flaw). I pinkie promise I will try to get the second chapter out as soon as possible. It's been a while since I've looked at it but I'm pretty close to getting it to where I want it. Also, the song used in this story is called _Just give me a reason_ by Pink featuring Nate Ruess.

I originally heard this song a few years ago and thought it would be a perfect tribute to JanxHank, especially considering this episode!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two, Consequences

Because of her love for him and he was a teammate, Jan attended Hank's funeral. Despite everything they had been through, despite her yelling at him not to quit the team, she had truly loved him. She just wished it hadn't had to end like this. If anything, she regretted not having told him.

When Tony started the eulogy Jan kept her eyes closed. With fresh, wet tears coming down her face she dabbed at them with a handkerchief. Pretty much everyone in the superhero community had come to mourn his loss. She felt a few eyes settle on her but she didn't acknowledge them. Instead she kept her eyes downward so as not to draw too much attention to herself.

Once Tony was done Jan headed straight for the golden statue of Hank. People came over to her, offering condolences. And while par to her heard them, another part of her just wanted to be left alone. As she stood in front of the statute, a mixture of emotions swirled through her. How had things gone so terribly wrong?

 _And it's all in your mind_

 _(Yeah but this is happenin')_

* * *

On the other side of Manhattan, Hank Pym had just finished his latest creation. Holding it up in front of his eyes, he almost couldn't believe it. It had taken him months to perfect. This would help him not only take down the Serpent Society, but also gain some legitimacy amongst the Avengers.

Shedding his street clothes and lab coat he donned the new costume. On his limbs and most of his chest and abdomen it was dark mustard. There was a black stripe down his chest, matching portions around his loins in addition to a mask, gloves, and boots. In the center of his chest was a golden bee. With this costume he would be able to do so much more than her and so much more than he had previously been able to.

Hank grabbed the small handgun and placed it into his holster. Glancing around the lab, he made sure things were tidy. Or at least as tidy as they could be. As of late he hadn't really put much emphasis on orderly living space. Mostly he had worried about whether or not he would finish his latest project on time.

Looking at his reflection, Hank stared at what he had become. He was definitely more muscular since he had left the Avengers. The face he knew was his but sometimes he didn't recognize it. His coffee brown eyes hardened with the harsh reality of his situation.

Most of the world, probably Jan included, thought him dead. They thought he had died in that lab fight after Tony and Jan had left. Luckily he hadn't thanks to his Yellow Jacket suit. Unfortunately, the suit had been damaged during the fight and so he had needed to upgrade it.

Taking a once around of his living space, Hank nodded. Pulling up his hood he decided to get his revenge on the Serpent Society. He headed out into the rough streets of New York, vowing to himself that he would be successful in capturing them all.

* * *

 _You've been havin' real bad dreams, oh, oh_

 _Used to lie so close to me, oh, oh_

"I wish he'd been able to finish what he'd started," Wasp said with her hands folded. She turned toward the statue with Captain America and Psyche standing behind her, "I wish I could've told him." Wasp placed her hand over her chest and then puts both hands over her eyes.

Steve moved closer to her, placing his hands on her arms, "Hank knew how you felt about him. He felt the same. He just got lost." Was all he had time to say before she ran into the trees crying.

Jan heard two sets of footsteps. One set came from behind and with that she felt a calming presence. The other came toward her from the right.

 _There's nothing more than empty sheets_

 _Between our love, our love_

"Miss Van Dyne, my condolences." Jan and Lucy looked up as the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. appeared in their midst. His hands were tucked inside the pockets of his dark trench coat. The latter helped to conceal him among the trees.

A look of shock crossed Jan's face, "Fury?" Tear trails still on her face she felt Lucy's arm around her shoulder. It was a comforting and much appreciated gesture.

"Yeah, keeping a low profile nowadays. I was hoping to have a word in private with Stark." He kept his voice down and made his way closer to the women.

Tony sighed as he joined the assembled group, "Great timing as always Fury. What do you want?"

"Sorry to be blunt but there's no easy way to say this," Fury's eye was closed and he looked down at the ground, "The explosion in Pym's lab, it wasn't an accident, "Fury took a rectangular device out of his trench coat pocket and tossed it to Tony. He caught it in one hand and saw that it had rusted. Not only that but there were wires and circuitry sticking out of it, "It was murder."

* * *

 _Oh, our love, our love_

In another part of New York the streets were anything but orderly. Flying toward his target, Pym ignored the whispers of citizens. He had a job to do and had to stay focused. The large orange and brown snake's tail rattled as he _thundered_ past screaming citizens. He raced through them like a butter knife as Pym followed him toward an abandoned warehouse.

Pym dodged a lightning bolt sent in his direction. With a glowing fist, he zapped Rattler through the dilapidated doors of the warehouse. Grunting, Pym followed where he had heard the Rattler land. Pulling the trigger, he watched the Rattler become bathed in yellow light. Two villain scum down, three to go.

As he flew away from the scene he heard the _rumbling_ of vehicles. In his peripheral vision, he saw people gathering around the warehouse. Reporters and cameramen were part of the crowd.

"Hey stranger, what's your name?" It was a woman with shoulder-length brunette hair and a blue pantsuit. All conversations seemed to stop as they looked up at the costumed individual floating above them.

"The name's Yellow Jacket." Pym replied with a half grin appearing on his face. This could turn out well for him.

"So Yellow Jacket what exactly is your mission here? What do you hope to accomplish?" Came the voice of another reporter, shoving his microphone on Pym's face. Cameras flashed and all other reports thrust their microphones in Pym's face.

What could a couple questions hurt? It wasn't like the Avengers could track him down or anything. And besides, they already thought Pym was dead. What did it matter?

 _Just give me a reason_

 _Just a little bit's enough_

* * *

After the funeral Tony called an emergency meeting in the Assembly Room. Cap, Panther, Tony, Thor, Ms. Marvel, Wasp, and Lucy were all in attendance. The team sat around the large table with a blue hologram in the center showing the device Fury had given Tony.

"S.H.I.E.L.D agents found it in the wreckage. A detonator," Wasp stood while everyone else sat, "Hank was killed." Her eyes squinted and her lips frowned.

"Fury happen to see who did it with his good eye?" Hawkeye said with his fist underneath his chin. Wasp turned to look at him, "Otherwise, we're hunting blind."

"Jarvis scan the device and access Hank's remote back-up drives." Tony said standing up from his seat. The others in the room waited as the hologram expanded to reveal the Serpent Society.

 _Yes sir. Most recent file activity, concentrated on the Serpent Society._

"It had to be them. What are we waiting around for?" Wasp said still scowling and standing.

"According to S.H.I.E.L.D the micro prison prototype wasn't in the wreckage. You think the serpents stole it?" Cap said turning to look at Tony.

"And if they did steal it, what would the Serpents want with it anyway?" Lucy raised her palm up to the ceiling.

"We'll find that out when we ask them," Tony stood up again", But it's the first thing that makes sense about all of this. It's time to show these snakes why we're called the Avengers. Jarvis?"

The hologram changed from an image of the Serpent Society to the area around Yancy Street. Yellow lines and green squares and rectangles dotted the map.

 _Dr. Pym's records show the whereabouts of the Constrictor somewhere in the vicinity of Yancy Street._

An image of the Constrictor appeared overtop of the map. "They're slippery. We don't want them to bolt before they're cornered. Panther," Cap said turning to Black Panther," are you up for a quiet hunt?"

"What about me? Said Jan standing up with her hands firmly on the table. She looked around at her fellow teammates hoping to get in on the action. If Hank's killers really were the society, she wanted to be the person in charge of taking them down.

Gently Tony responded, "Jan maybe it's too soon. You'll get your chance I promise but-"

Jan grunted in frustrated and sat back down in her seat. She leaned back in the seat with her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her face. _Fine_ , she thought to herself, _if you won't let me avenge Hank's killers then I will_.

 _Just a second we're not broken_

 _Just bent_

* * *

The victim's legs were moving. Quite slowly, for someone who was trying to avoid the law. So far he wasn't doing a very good job of it. His legs were practically not touching the ground and yet Pym didn't have trouble keeping up with him.

Even thought it was pitch black, there was a full moon which didn't help Constrictor hide at all. The air was cooling down, turning from summer to autumn. Orange street lights glowed throughout the city. The lights helped him see his victim, wearing an orange and blue suit. Occasionally the runner would look behind him to see if Pym was still chasing him. Sometimes, just to mess with him he would shrink down and listen to the sighs of relief.

Suddenly he came to a parking garage. The Constrictor's breathing slowed. That was, until Pym grew. Holding his gun he watched the Constrictor's face change from relieved to frightened.

 _And we can learn to love again_

 _I never stopped_

Pym fired at the Constrictor and missed him by a hair. The snake fell on the ground and began crawling away from Pym. Pym knew he wouldn't admit it, but the Constrictor was scared. He screamed, "I'll give you whatever you want, just let me go."

"What I want is to see scum like you punished once and for all." Pym raised his gun and pointed it at the Constrictor. As the Constrictor's ropes came toward him, Pym fired at both of them. He hit them both and the villain edge away from him.

"But who are you?" Said the Constrictor his voice and body shaking.

"The name's Yellow Jacket." Pym replied feeling his trigger finger itching to fulfill its purpose. Unfortunately, a red, white, and blue shield knocking the gun out of his hand prevented him from doing so.

"We'll take over from here, friend." Came a familiar voice from behind. Pym knew instantly who it was. He figured they had followed him here, since T'Challa had heightened senses.

Then Panther did something Pym had expected. He held up his Avengers I.D. card, using it to scan him. Probably in a stupid way to identify him. Thankfully, it didn't work.

 _Scanning. Energy Signature Analyzed. Identity Unknown._

"The mighty Avengers. You going to scan him into submission?" Pym said moving to the left and gesturing at Constrictor.

"We're certainly not disintegrating him." Cap answered and Pym knew the atmosphere was slowly increasing in tension. He had to do something, and quick.

"Which is exactly why the world needs someone like me. Willing to do whatever it takes." Pym replied said in answer, feeling the situation spiral out of control.

He then lunged for Captain America. His arm went for the Captain's head while his leg went for the Captain's gut. His knee struck Captain America in the gut and he tossed the other man aside. Constrictor watched in horror. Captain America slid across the ground while Black Panther's fist went for Pym's face. Pym blocked Panther's fist with his own. He then followed up with a fist of his own. His hit Panther again under the chin.

"Who are you?" Black Panther questioned in a crouch and Pym grinned on the inside. He knew he had the Avengers stumped when Panther didn't even know who he was. At that point, Constrictor ran away from the fight. Probably hoping to save himself. Not if Pym could help it.

Panther than jumped toward Pym, who was literally pinned against a wall. He went to punch Pym, who jumped up. Captain America by this point had gotten back up. His shield close by on the ground.

"Not so fast!" Captain America said and Pym jumped on the Captain's shield. It hit him in the face as Pym flew up in the air.

"Stings doesn't it? Maybe it'll help you to remember to stay out of my way. I've got work to do." Pym said, releasing yellow jackets from his hands. Directing them toward Captain America and Black Panther, he hoped it would keep them busy long enough to take care of Constrictor. They swatted at his companions as he grabbed his fallen gun.

Crouching, Pym aimed his gun at the Constrictor. He pulled the trigger and yellow energy bathed the Constrictor. Soon, the serpent was gone leaving behind as he disappeared.

"No!" Cap reached his hand toward where the Constrictor had been. The yellow jackets still buzzed around the Captain and Black Panther.

Suddenly, a small woman wearing black and yellow flew toward him. Growing in size, she then proceeded to punch him in the face. "You're going to be sorry you did that." She said pointing at him as Lucy grew in size beside her. Pym landed on the ground with a _thud_. He was truly shocked she had come and it showed on his countenance.

He then stood up and flew away. He needed to leave, and soon. Before she discovered he wasn't actually dead. Because if she did, well he wouldn't think about that until the time came. He just concentrated on increasing the distance between himself and Jan.

 _You're still written in the scars on my heart_

* * *

Once the yellow jackets died down, Captain America and Black Panther walked toward Wasp and Psyche.

"Hope that wasn't too soon for you guys." She said with some venom in her voice. And with that, she shrunk down and went to follow Yellow Jacket.

"Jan wait!" The Captain called but it was too late. Her mind was already made up. Whizzing through the air, she went to follow where Yellow Jacket had gone. The star spangled Avenger turned to Lucy. "Psyche, go after her." And with that the blue clad telepath did as he bid.

Farther ahead of Psyche the Winsome Wasp continued to follow Yellow Jacket. Her determination and love for Hank kept her going. If this man was responsible for his death, she would make him pay. One way or the other. She followed him to a building near a water tower. She was close enough that if she zapped him, she could hit him. She could Psyche behind her and kept her focus on Yellow Jacket.

"You think you can get away from me?" Wasp vented her voice rising as she spoke. Her fists glowed and she zapped him from behind. With a grunt, he landed face first on the rooftop. Increasing in size, she landed on the roof with her hands balled into fists. "Do you realize what you've done? Constrictor was our only lead to finding out who killed Hank."

Yellow Jacket wiped his glove on his chin, "So? Pym was the weak link in your little club. You're better off without him." He said the last part with a smile which made Jan's blood boil. She saw Psyche land beside her, her hands balled into fists and let her rage fly.

Her fist glowed and she zapped him again. He landed on the roof with a _thud_ , "You don't know anything about him." She screamed her voice rising in volume. Yellow Jacket stood up and once again wiped his chin.

"I knew enough to get rid of the guy." He stood facing her. Jan felt comforted when Psyche went to stand next to her.

"What?" Wasp asked incredulously. Gritting her teeth she let him face. Using all of her energy and force, she zapped him for as long and hard as she could. In her peripheral vision she saw Psyche's stance loosen slightly. She saw the other woman's confusion and ignored it. Right now, she needed this. Not only for Hank but herself as well.

Yellow Jacket slid to the edge of the roof. Jan grunted and Yellow Jacket's hand went to his body. Pulling small yellow jackets from his costume, he then raised his hand to throw them in Jan and Psyche's direction. However, Jan beat him to the punch and zapped his hand. The Yellow Jackets buzzed around where he had been as a large cloud of dust appeared.

"Be careful little wasp, I have a nasty sting too." He said floating above the dust cloud. Raising his glowing, he aimed his stingers toward the water tower. Both hit the water tower and the contents poured out of its container toward Jan and Psyche.

The water hit Jan and Psyche, washing them onto the roof. Jan and Psyche both coughed up any excess water. Yellow Jacket still floated over them, probably to gloat.

"You can't stop me." Yellow Jacket said with a sly smirk. Without another word, he flew into the night sky.

Jan looked up with a shocked expression on her face. She then glanced down at her wrist, where one of the yellow jackets lay on her glove. Picking it up with her fore finger and thumb, she examined it and comprehension dawned on her face.

"Jan, what is it?" Psyche looked at the bee, then at her friend for guidance.

"Hank?" Jan said looking up into the sky in understanding. Psyche glanced up at the sky, then once again at her friend. Confusion crossed her face and she began to squeeze the water out of her hair.

 _We're not broken just bent_

 _And we can learn to love again_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three, Realization

That evening, after the skirmish with Yellow Jacket, the four Avengers met with Iron Man back in the Assembly Hall. Jan didn't care about Tony's reaction to her joining Cap and Panther's manhunt for the Serpent Society. He had seemed sympathetic finally asking her why she had even followed the pair anyway. When Jan had given him her explanation, his reaction had been just as stunned as hers.

"Who is Yellow Jacket?" Tony finally asked still sitting in his seat. Sitting to his left was Captain America and on the other end of the table, Black Panther. Psyche sat next to Jan, appearing the very essence of tranquil. She hadn't said much all night, except to confirm Jan's story.

"Is your helmet on too tight?" Jan pointed to her head as her voice elevated in pitch. "I just told you. Yellow Jacket is Hank Pym." She said sounding as exasperated as she felt.

Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Panther all stared at her as if she had grown a third leg. Psyche was simply quiet, her hands pressed together. Her brows were knitted together, which meant she as deep in thought.

Captain America spoke next, "We heard you, Jan, but it's a tough pill to swallow." He sounded like he was pleading with her. Well, Jan knew the truth. And she wouldn't believe them until they could prove her otherwise.

"Not to mention impossible." Tony added beside him and Jan felt like zapping them all in the face. How could they deny it was Hank? It was glaringly obvious to her. But then again they hadn't known Hank as long as she had.

"Or highly improbable." T'Challa began typing on the keyboard in front of his seat. Panther's fingers guided each circle to images of Ant-Man and Yellow Jacket. "Compare the scans. Different size, body shape." Holographic images appeared of Ant-Man and Yellow Jacket. And to Jan, they were one in the same. "Even the technology in Yellow Jacket's costume carries a different energy signature."

Jan could tell they were trying to pacify her. To get her to accept Hank's death. But what Jan felt and heard during her fight with Yellow Jacket, she knew. Her gut was telling her it was him, and she believed it.

"I could read his mind the next time we encounter him." Psyche said and everyone turned to look at her. The expression of the other men in the room ranged from tentative to dismissive. Jan's expression was filled with hope. Finally, someone was listening to her, "Just as a way to confirm Yellow Jacket's identity since Panther's scan didn't work."

Tony turned to her and nodded, "I think we should try that next." And with that he turned to Jan with his mask had been pealed back to reveal his face, "Jan, we're all upset about we're all upset about Hank, but think about it. Think about what he did to the Constrictor." Tony was standing up now with his helmet pealed back to expose his face. He went to Jan, placing his hands on her arms. "Hank was a pacifist. This thug can't possibly be the man we knew."

Jan pulled out of Tony's grip, her expression one of resolve. She didn't care how many times they told her. "I know what I heard," she backed away from Tony, "what I felt." And she meant it. She turned and walked away with Psyche reluctantly at her heels.

 _Our tear ducts can rust_

 _I'll fix it for us_

* * *

Pym's fists pounded against the punching bag. One after the other. He tried not to think about last night. It had gone fairly well, until the Avengers showed up. Not to mention his fight and conversation with Jan. Why had she even been there at all? He figured she must have been pretty broken up about his death. Then again, she had always been a strong person and that was one of the many reasons he loved her.

Their fight played over and over again in his mind. How furious she had been, especially by the way she had zapped him. He could still recall the look on her face.

At that moment, a beeping sound interrupted his thoughts. Unwrapping his fists, Hank went to his computer. Running his fingers across the keyboard, the screen then lit up. Appearing on the screen was a map, with an image of Cobra. Cobra was a member of the Serpent Society, a group he was currently after. And like Pokémon, he had to catch them all.

Shedding his workout clothes Hank donned his Yellow Jacket costume. Placing his gun in its holster, he headed out to capture his quarry.

 _We're collecting dust_

 _But our love's enough_

* * *

Despite the events of last night, Jan knew with a certainty in her gut that Hank Pym was Yellow Jacket. So why did she still feel this giant hole inside her? A hole that, for some inexplicable reason, couldn't be filled.

She had spent the following morning by herself. She had tried to convince the other Avengers, but they weren't having it. Jan had decided to go to Hank's Memorial Statue to be by herself. It would give her some much needed alone time, as well as time to think.

Jan wasn't sure how she knew, but she felt a comforting presence nearby, "You think I'm crazy too?" It was a valid question, considering how the others had reacted the night before.

Jan half turned to see Captain America behind her, "No one thinks you're crazy." Captain America replied and she knew he meant it. "We'd all like to believe Hank isn't gone, but look at the evidence, Jan."

Jan didn't have the heart to face him. Instead, she remained focused on the memorial statute. She knew she was right she just had to prove it to them.

Jan closed her eyes, "I know, but if it was him, if he somehow altered himself," she then half turned to face him again, "don't we owe him a chance?" Her gaze was filled with willpower as she looked up at the statue. She would prove to them Yellow Jacket was Hank one way or another.

Just then, Psyche flew over to the memorial statue. Floating a few inches above the ground she spoke, "I hate to interrupt, but there's been a Yellow Jacket spotting."

 _You're holding it in_

 _You're pouring a drink_

* * *

Innocent citizens screamed in fright and ran away as King Cobra slithered through the streets. No amount of gliding, no matter how fast, would prevent Yellow Jacket from capturing him.

"Get out of my way." King Cobra hissed sliding through the bystanders as fast as he could. Yellow Jacket landed in front of him, and he backed up. He gasped, sounding defeated, "I'm not going to beg for mercy."

"You wouldn't get any." Yellow Jacket said his gun aimed at the green and pink snake. Pulling the trigger, King Cobra screamed as he was then bathed in yellow light. And just like that, King Cobra was gone.

 _No nothing is as bad as it seems_

 _We'll come clean_

Immediately after that, Yellow Jacket looked up into the sky. He saw storm clouds gathering even though it wasn't supposed to rain that day. Thunder then struck where he'd been standing, and he moved out of its path. Another large bolt came down and Yellow Jacket dodged that as well. He chuckled wondering how long it had taken the Asgardian to find him.

Swinging his hammer, Thor lowered himself toward Yellow Jacket. "When you struck down Pym, you earned my ire, mortal." Thor raised Mjolnir above his head, "Lay down your arms and surrender."

Lightning came from Mjolnir and Yellow Jacket managed to evade it once more. "I don't think so." Thor continued to throw lightning. And Yellow Jacket didn't stop flying out of the way of the lightning. Thor managed to catch up to him but Yellow Jacket managed to speed up. He turned to face Thor as he resumed dodging his lightning. His lightning struck some nearby buildings and once again Yellow Jacket darted out of the way. "Instead of attacking me, you guys should be thanking me." Yellow Jacket continued, "The math is simple blondie. Bad guys plus Yellow Jacket equals no more bad guys." He said the last part with a grin.

"Irritating insect." Thor said with disgust as he continued his pursuit. He followed Yellow Jacket around a building and a bank.

Yellow Jacket knew he couldn't continue running from Thor. The Asgardian would eventually find and capture him. However, he had a trick up his sleeve that none of the Avengers knew about. And maybe this was the time to act on this inside knowledge. He saw more lightning in his peripheral vision and kept going. He was running out of options and he would be forced to act.

* * *

Wasp and the other Avengers were on a Quinjet heading into the city. Dark storm clouds covered the sky. Captain America was flying the jet and Wasp in standing on his left with her hands on the dashboard. All saw the chase from their positions on the Quinjet. "Looks like Thor isn't having any better look than we did." Wasp said from the front of the Quinjet.

As soon as they had received word Thor had found Yellow Jacket, she had been one of the first to climb aboard the Quinjet. No one, not even Tony Stark, had objected to her joining the manhunt.

"He can dodge lightning? Guy knows what he's doing." Hawkeye remarked going to stand next to Wasp. Psyche stood directly behind Cap and bit her upper lip.

"Well whoever he is, he's got serious balls taking on an Asgardian." Psyche commented and all the men in the Quinjet focused their gaze on her. Upon realizing her faux pas she merely shrugged, "What? All I'm saying is he must be a good fighter if he can dodge Thor's lightning."

Wasp could see Tony shrug it off, "Let's end this and Jan-"she didn't let him finish. She knew what he was going to say and she wasn't having it. Not one bit.

Wasp turned away from the dashboard and walked up to Tony. With her finger practically in his face, "If you tell me to sit this one out, I'll zap you in your stupid metal face." The hangar by this point was open and even through his mask she could see his surprised expression.

 _Just give me a reason_

 _Just a little bit's enough_

"I was going to tell you to hit him with everything you've got, no matter who you think he is." Well that hadn't been what she had expected him to say. Wasp could see Psyche's encouraging smile from her peripheral and she backed up.

"Oh." Wasp remained silent as they closed the distance between Yellow Jacket and themselves. What would Hank try to do once he saw them converging on him? Would he try to run away? Or would he stay and fight? Wasp knew that either way, he would screw things over and reveal himself.

* * *

As Thor kept throwing lightning at Yellow Jacket resumed dodging. "Nowhere to run, mortal." And Thor was right. The Asgardian had him cornered near an old abandoned warehouse. But Yellow Jacket wasn't ready to give up. At least, not yet. He hadn't even tried his pistol on Thor yet.

They were close to an old abandoned warehouse. At that moment, Thor decided to throw more lightning. It arced around Pym through and the sky. He felt like yawning, but it didn't seem appropriate in this case. As a result of Thor's lightning, all of the windows in the abandoned warehouse had been shattered. Now Pym had an idea.

"Getting mad and throwing lightning bolts, a real tough strategy to crack." Yellow Jacket said with a grin and then headed into the warehouse. Landing as far away from the windows as possible he then brought out his pistol, "Next, he'll probably brag about his hammer."

Thor flew through the wall, which crashed onto the floor. "Taste the wrath of Mjolnir." Thor said pointing his hammer at Yellow Jacket. Yellow Jacket couldn't help the satisfied smirk on his face.

 _Just a second we're not broken_

 _Just bent_

The Quinjet appeared outside the abandoned warehouse. The hangar opened and Wasp didn't hesitate. She shrunk down and rushed out of the Quinjet.

"Wasp, wait." Iron Man called but Wasp ignored him. Focusing on Yellow Jacket she heard the other Avengers follow her into the warehouse.

 _And we can learn to love again_

Yellow Jacket aimed his gun at Thor's hammer. Firing, both watched as his hammer was bathed in yellow light and disappeared. Thor's expression was one of shock. "And in the blink of an eye, I'm in control and you're finished, Thor." Yellow Jacket said aiming his pistol at Thor.

"Impossible." Was Thor's only reply. His facial appearance was one of shock. Thor charged toward Yellow Jacket as the latter kept his pistol trained on Thor.

"Very possible." Yellow Jacket replied as his pistol powered up. He could hear Jan's wings flutter.

"Hank." Wasp said growing in size as she flew closer to Yellow Jacket. She was followed by Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther, Hawkeye, and Psyche. At that moment, Yellow Jacket pulled the trigger.

"Thor!" Came Captain America's reply. Hawkeye's expression of shock mirrored his as well as Wasp's. She flew up further into the air.

"You should've just left me alone." Yellow Jacket said as his pistol began to shake. "I had it under control." He grit his teeth as the other Avengers pushed him even further into a corner. He knew he had to come up with a way to escape, and fast. He couldn't let the Avengers figure out who he really was. Especially not Jan. How would she even react to knowing he was still alive? However, a voice from behind stopped him.

"No, you didn't, you never did." Wasp stood behind him. Before he could react, she grabbed his mask and pulled it down, "You're not Yellow Jacket, you're Hank Pym."

 _It's in the stars_

* * *

And of course, Wasp had been right. She knew if she had enough proof they would listen. And what further proof could she get than to pull his mask off? Even Hank himself seemed shocked she had done it. Everyone stared in dazed silence for several minutes. Finally, Iron Man broke the silence.

"Hank, you need help."

"Me?" Hank aimed his thumb toward himself, "I just shut down an Asgardian." He then jabbed a finger at the other Avengers, "You said I wasn't tough enough. Looks like I'm tougher than all of you." He brought his gun up as the other Avengers started inching closer toward him, "Don't even Clint, I mean it. None of you can stop me."

"You can't shoot all of us at once." Iron Man said pointing a repulsor toward Yellow Jacket. They hadn't attacked, at least not yet. But it wouldn't be long before the tension was diffused in some way. Wasp attempted to put herself between the Avengers and Hank.

"Hank why don't you lower the gun and talk to us." Psyche said.

Wasp pushed in front of Yellow Jacket. She wanted to put herself between the other Avengers and Yellow Jacket. "He doesn't know what he's doing." Wasp then turned to Yellow Jacket, "Please, just stop it, Hank."

Wasp only received a glare and grumble from him. "Hank Pym is dead." Hank said with a dark glare as he aimed his gun at Wasp. Her body went rigid as Yellow Jacket slowly distanced himself from her.

"I'm sorry you feel that way Yellow Jacket." Iron Man replied raising his repulsor ray at Yellow Jacket.

Wasp grunted and moved out of the way as soon as Yellow Jacket aimed his gun at Iron Man. He pulled the trigger the same time Iron Man fired his repulsor. The repulsor and gun fired off each other which caused an explosion. Replacing all the Avengers on the floor of the warehouse was a spinning black and yellow disc.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four, Rocky Reunion

Inside the gun was a prison. It was in what Yellow Jacket had discovered as the micro verse. The exterior of the prison was Q-tip like with a horizontal strip around the Q-tip and a smaller, thicker band underneath the horizontal strip. He had purposefully designed it similar to the prison in the Negative Zone. Inside the prison, the floor and walls sloped at a forty five degree angle. On the upper half of the wall closer to the ceiling were windows. On the lower half of the wall closer to the floor were prison cells. On the floor square shaped holes with staircases leading to keyboards, screens, and a cylinder object of unknown purpose or function.

"Look what you did. Idiots!" Yellow Jacket said placing his hands on his head in exasperation.

"I don't it's us you should be getting upset with." Psyche said crossing her arms over her chest.

"What we did? You killed Thor," Iron Man said pointing a finger at Yellow Jacket.

"Nay, my friend." Said Thor and everyone turned to face him. Inwardly Yellow Jacket rolled his eyes, "Though he did cause me some minor discomfort." He whirled his hammer and flew toward them.

"I didn't kill anyone." Yellow Jacket continued, "My pistol places things directly into my new micro-prison, the one we are now trapped in because of you people." He said that last part with more irritation. He hadn't meant for any of this to happen. He just wanted to be an Avenger his teammates could rely on. Someone who could get the job done.

"You mean we're stuck inside your gun?" Hawkeye asked looking up at the ceiling. Psyche shivered uncomfortably in response.

Iron Man turned to the cells and went through each prisoners one by one, "King Cobra, Bushmaster, Rattler," he stopped briefly at the orange and tan snake then continued. "Death Adder, Anaconda, Constrictor." He then half turned to Yellow Jacket, "This is sadistic, Hank." He fully faced Yellow Jacket now, "You used to dream of rehabilitating criminals."

Inwardly, he scoffed. He couldn't afford to be that person anymore. The Avenges had told him they needed someone who could take care of the bad guys. Someone who didn't want to try to rehabilitate them, but to put them in prison. And he had tried to become that person.

"I'm not Hank. I'm everything Pym couldn't be." Yellow Jacket said pulling up his mask once more. He felt bereft without it, naked even. It was who he was, who he had become.

"I'm sorry. You were right, Jan." Iron Man said turning to Wasp before jabbing a finger at Yellow Jacket, "But in about three seconds, I'm taking him out, whoever he thinks he is."

 _It's been written in the scars on our hearts_

What had he been apologizing to Jan for? Had she really known what he had become? It seemed as if he had given her far too little credit. But it didn't matter at this point. What mattered right now was figuring out a way to get the Avengers to see what he'd become. And possibly to find an escape route.

"Hank, I know you're still in there," Wasp was pleading with him and it tore at his heart. "You've got to stop this before…" she was interrupted before she could say anything more.

A rumbling occurred throughout the prison. The Avengers braced themselves as some glass fell from the windows. This was an unexpected development.

"Now what?" Yellow Jacket asked even though he already knew. Being the sole expert on Pym Particles he knew exactly what was happening. And there wasn't a thing he could do to prevent it.

Iron Man looked up at the ceiling of the prison and scanned it. "The Pym Particles of your prison are unstable at this size. The place is shrinking uncontrollably, but we're not shrinking with it. It's going to crush us."

"The pistol was the gateway. There's no way out." Hank seemed insistent that this was the only solution. However, knowing him, he had probably already thought of an alternative by now. At least, Wasp hoped he had.

"I find that extremely hard to believe. You made this prison, not to mention you're the smartest person here. You can figure out how we escape, so start cracking genius." Psyche said mirroring my own thoughts. I just wish Hank would stop trying to be macho for one minute and be the Hank Pym I knew and loved.

"Psyche's right, you need to help us get out of here. This problem isn't going to be fixed by someone in a yellow clown suit who wants to solve everything by fighting." Iron Man closed the distance between himself and Hank and jabbed a finger at the other man's forehead, "I need someone who uses science, who uses his brain."

Wasp grabbed his hand, "We need you, Hank Pym." Wasp said once again hoping to reason with him. She thought that maybe, just maybe, she could persuade him.

 _That we're not broken just bent_

Another grumble shook the prison. Psyche held onto Captain America as the other Avengers tried to hold their ground. Wasp could see electricity spark outside the prison. More glass fell from the windows. Everyone began to crouch as the ceiling started to crumble. Electricity fried the electronics in the prison and the shackles released the prisoners. The barriers also disappeared and the prisoners exited their cells.

"Cobra, hold up." Iron Man said holding a hand up to stop King Cobra, "If we don't act quickly, we'll all be crushed. It's your choice. Fight us and we're finished. Or we work together to get out of this mess."

The Serpent Society had boxed in the Avengers. There were however, more Avengers than members of the Serpent Society. A fight against the Avengers wouldn't exactly go in their favor.

Death Adder looked to King Cobra, "Serpent Society, attack." He said and Wasp gave an inward sigh of frustration.

King Cobra shot two missiles at Captain America. Blue light streamed from them as they hit Captain America's shield, "Avengers Assemble." Captain America said.

Black Panther dodged falling debris while Hawkeye released an arrow at King Cobra's other missile. Wasp grabbed Yellow Jacket's hand and pulled him out of the way of falling rubble. Iron Man flew to join the fray, only to be stopped by Constrictor's ropes around his ankles. Constrictor took those ropes and flung Iron Man against a beam. Psyche then sent a small bolt of mental energy toward Constrictor. The navy blue and orange clad snake then fell on the ground. His grip relaxed and Psyche helped Iron Man up.

Wasp shot her stingers at King Cobra, but to no avail. Every time she fired, he would slither out of the way. Anaconda came up from behind and wrapped her arms around the yellow and black clad heroine. Anaconda squeezed Wasp as she struggled to get away. Wasp then decided to shrink and she did, which allowed her to escape from Anaconda's grasp. Wreckage fell on the yellow and lime green clad serpent and she went down.

King Cobra tried to slide out of the way of falling rubble. Captain America ran up to him with his shield on his left arm. The spikes on his hands were glowing blue as he swung at Captain America. Missing, the Captain then went for King Cobra again, but the latter managed to dodge his attack. King Cobra then struck the Captain's shield and glided underneath his outstretched arm. He jumped onto a beam connected to the ceiling and hung onto it.

"We don't have time for this." Captain America called up to him. He then threw his shield at King Cobra. Cobra leaned back and the shield then hit the ceiling. Once the shield's descent it connected with King Cobra's head. Thor hit one of the missiles Cobra had been about to send with his hammer. The other was sent in the opposite direction by Psyche.

Death Adder swung his spiked tail at Black Panther. Panther jumped behind Death Adder.

"Where is Dr. Pym?" Panther asked as Death Adder's tail whipped in his direction.

In another area of the room Constrictor once again had Iron Man in his grasp. His ropes held Iron Man in the air with one around his throat and the other his ankle. Yellow Jacket knew what Panther was implying. And if he was being honest with himself, he had already thought of a way out. The question then became, was he going to introduce it this second? Most likely not. He would help them with they had finished with the Serpent Society. Then and only then.

"Pym can't come to the rescue right now." Yellow Jacket replied in a sing-song voice. He then zapped Constrictor from behind and watched as both fell, "And you're welcome, Stark."

Yellow Jacket could tell the others weren't having as much fun as him. The prison imploding certainly wasn't ideal. However, he had come to enjoy the feeling of his fist sinking into someone else.

Another boom rocked the prison as it began to shrink. The Avengers were all tossed about. A large beam hit Thor as he landed on the ground again. Standing behind him was the Rattler. Thor lifted the beam off of him and was met with the Rattler sticking his tail in the ground. Electricity sparked from the hole in the floor toward him.

"Me think not." Thor said as he raised his hammer over his head. Slamming it back down again, his lightning raced toward the Rattler. Upon reaching the Rattler, the giant serpent was sent flying.

Bushmaster then punched Hawkeye in the face. Hawkeye then fell and the cyborg-serpent pulled out his claws. His hand then went to strike Hawkeye. The purple clad Avenger rolled out of the way.

"Priorities, Bushmaster. Come on." Hawkeye said and in response Bushmaster slammed his tail on the ground.

Hawkeye then stepped on Bushmaster's tail with an arrow already drawn. Bushmaster's forest green tail then moved upward. Hawkeye was then in the air when he fired his arrow. The arrow hit its target and encased Bushmaster in tight, rope webbing. The serpent groaned in frustration but it was no use. He was completely stuck.

Death Adder was now chasing Black Panther. The green and purple serpent dodged a large piece of falling debris as he tried to keep up with the Black Panther. Death Adder then kicked at Panther. The Panther fell and the pair ran. However, a larger piece of debris than the other landed on top of Death Adder's tail. Black Panther turned around and as Death Adder tried to get his tail unstuck, punched him in the face.

"Time to move from butt-kicking to problem solving, guys." Wasp said as the prison shrank around them.

"The prison is imploding into a singularity. If we don't get out of here fast, it's over." Iron Man said as the portion of the walls farthest away from them began to collapse.

Yellow Jacket regretted how things had ended. Not only with the prison but with the Avengers and Jan too. He wondered he should share his plan now or not.

"You're the genius, genius." Hawkeye replied turning to Iron Man.

"Not for this kind of thing." Iron Man then tuned to Yellow Jacket, "Snap out of it, Hank."

At that moment, the Wasp was shocked and grabbed by none other than the Constrictor. All turned to see Wasp being pulled toward the villain.

"Wasp!" Yellow Jacket and Psyche yelled at the same time. For Psyche, she was a concerned friend. For Yellow Jacket, she had become much more than a friend. Although at the current moment the only thing that mattered was saving her from the Constrictor.

Once the Constrictor had her in his hands, he held her arms and wings in each hand, "Come any closer, and I pull the bug's wings off." Yellow Jacket was frozen in place, unsure of what to do. He knew he had to safe Wasp, but at what cost? "Or maybe I'll just do it anyway."

"Jan." Yellow Jacket called and both Captain America and Psyche held him back. It was then that Yellow Jacket pulled some yellow jackets out of his costume. He sent them in the direction of the Constrictor. They buzzed around the villain's head long enough for Iron Man to blast the Constrictor. Yellow Jacket caught her just before she reached the ground.

 _And we can learn to love again_

"Hank?" Wasp grunted as she looked up at the person who had saved her. And not just this time, but all the other times before now.

"Jan." Yellow Jacket said taking off his mask. And for the first time since leaving the Avengers, he smiled.

"Hank." Wasp said growing and wrapping her arms around him. The two embraced before Psyche cleared her throat.

"It's great that you two have made up and all, but how about we celebrate after we get out of here?" Psyche said and the two pulled apart. Yellow Jacket guided Wasp closer to the Avengers.

Wasp understood the telepath's urgency. The prison was shrinking much faster now. Thor was using his bare hands to push against the prison.

Yellow Jacket then approached Black Panther, "Panther, your ID card. It still has the scan of me from earlier? I need it." Panther than handed him his ID card. It was at this point Wasp knew he had had a solution the entire time. Yellow Jacket then pulls apart the ID card, exposing the wires within. "Tony, give me access to your chest reactor."

"Not so fast." Iron Man said putting up a hand to stop him.

"I built the prison around my bio-signature, so only I could access it. If we can relay my bio-signature from Panther's can through your chest reactor, it'll explode like a wave-motion field and transpose us out of here." Yellow Jacket replied.

"Yeah, sure, why didn't I think of that?" Hawkeye quipped as he raised an arm above his head.

"Maybe because you're not a genius?" Psyche shot back as she went to help Thor in pushing back against the wall.

Hawkeye shook his head, "No I'm pretty sure that's not it."

At any other time, Wasp wouldn't have minded the banter. But right now, she just wanted to leave. And maybe, hash out her feelings with Hank.

Yellow Jacket reached for Iron Man's chest. Black Panther stopped him and addressed Iron Man.

"Tony, that reactor's keeping your heart going. If this goes wrong, you might die." Black Panther said which made Wasp shudder.

Iron Man said as he and Yellow Jacket glanced at the ever decreasing prison, "If he doesn't try, we all die."

Iron Man then opened up his chest piece. Yellow Jacket then connected the wires of Panther's ID card to Iron Man's chest.

"This might hurt a lot." Yellow Jacket said as he plugged in the rest of the wires. Wasp didn't envy Iron Man at all in this situation.

"Thanks for telling me now." Iron Man said.

"Hold on." Was all Yellow Jacket said.

Wasp felt as if the prison couldn't shrink anymore. The other Avengers joined Thor in holding back what was left of the prison walls. One of Panther's hands was on the wall while the other held Iron Man's. Once Yellow Jacket had plugged in the last wire, Iron Man's chest began to glow.

Yellow Jacket nodded at Iron Man while Wasp enfolded her arms around Yellow Jacket's neck. Both closed their eyes as Iron Man's chest piece began to make a _whirring_ noise. Blue light engulfed them as the prison completely disappeared.

Electricity sparked from the disc on the ground. It lit up and hummed and eventually the Avengers, along with the Serpent Society reappeared in the abandoned warehouse in a bright flash of light. The Avengers all then relaxed and Wasp looked into Yellow Jacket's eyes.

In her mind, nothing else mattered. They had escaped the prison and the Serpent Society had been dealt with. But Wasp she and Hank needed to have a serious discussion.

"Well, we cheated death again." Hawkeye said fist bumping Captain America.

"Not us, him." Iron Man said gesturing to Yellow Jacket, who was busy enjoying his victory with Wasp.

"You did it." Wasp said jumping up and enclosing Yellow Jacket in her arms. She enjoyed the warmth and strength he gave her. With his arm around her waist, Wasp felt safe. Both then pulled away and Yellow Jacket pulled his mask back over his face.

"Let's clean this mess up." Wasp turned to look at Iron Man. She couldn't tell what his expression meant but she figured she'd ask him about it later.

 _Just give me a reason_

 _Just a little bit's enough_

Author's Note: So I've been trying to keep my promise to you readers. I hope you've enjoyed this story! As I said in the first chapter, I originally started this story three years ago and just picked it back up recently. Also, I know I probably spelled Yellow Jacket wrong this entire time but I don't feel like deleting the story and reposting it again.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five, All's well that ends well

After the Serpent Society had been dealt with, the Avengers had gone back to the mansion. From what snippets of conversation Yellow Jacket could hear, they weren't entirely certain what to do with Yellow Jacket. Yes, he had been a founding member but his newfound violence was concerning to say the least.

"The cells at Hydrobase should keep the Society out of commission." Iron Man said to Wasp as they walked. Yellow Jacket could hear them as they approached his memorial. He felt touched that his friends had dedicated a memorial to him.

"Not a bad likeness." Yellow Jacket said as he turned to face them, jerking his thumb at his memorial statue.

"We'll have to take it back down." Wasp said as Yellow Jacket's gaze remained elsewhere.

"You should leave it. Ant-Man is gone, that's the past." Yellow Jacket said, his gaze going to the statue. His thoughts went to Scott Lang and he wondered how the other man was doing.

Iron Man then went to stand next to Yellow Jacket, "I think we spent too long wanting you to be someone you weren't, instead of appreciating who you were." He looked at Yellow Jacket when he said the last part.

Yellow Jacket then turned to Iron Man with a hand on his hip, "You want an Avenger who gets the job done right, here I am." He could see uncertainty in Wasp's eyes. He hoped he would be able to change that but he didn't want to rush things.

Iron Man then gave Hank a look, "Hank Pym is welcome back to the team anytime. That's who we want."

Yellow Jacket turned away from him. "I told you, the name's Yellow Jacket." He said pulling his mask back over his face. He then decided to join the other Avengers conversation.

 _Just a second we're not broken, just bent_

* * *

Wasp watched him go. She hoped he wouldn't leave the team again. And while she knew he wouldn't voluntarily, she decided to talk to Tony about it.

"Tony?" Wasp looked to Iron Man, pleading with him.

"Absolutely not." Tony replied sounding firm. But Wasp wasn't going to give up easily.

Wasp continued, "He's your friend." She wasn't sure how well that line would work. But it was true. He had been Hank's friend.

"Was." Tony turned to look at her, "Yellow Jacket is crazy as a hornet's nest, and a loose cannon to boot."

Wasp decided to use the last card she had left. If this didn't work, well then she would leave the Avengers. She didn't want to have to choose between the two, but she would if she had to. She glanced at Hank's Memorial Statue. "I've been an Avenger from day one. I've always been the happy camper. I've never asked you for anything, Tony Stark. But I'm asking now." She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Take Hank back. We need him. I need him." And she meant it. She didn't want to live in a world without Henry Pym. She had already tried living without him and if she was being honest with herself, it had been miserable.

Before Tony could respond, Jarvis interrupted their conversation. And it was Hank's response that squashed all doubt in her mind of whether or not he would rejoin the team.

 _Pardon me, sir, but the New York police department is reporting a throng of mole people spilling in Madison Square Garden. And I don't believe there was a game today._

"Bet I bag more mole people than you do, Stark." Yellow Jacket said pointing a finger at Tony.

"Oh boy here we go." Psyche said heading for the Quinjet.

"Wait, what? Yellow Jacket?" Iron Man's helmet slid back into place as the Avengers went to respond to the threat.

 _And we can learn to love again_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six, All's well that ends well

It had been a week since Hank had rejoined the team. Wasp had rarely seen him during that time but that was in part due to her moving back to Avengers Mansion. Not to mention his work at Greyburn. Currently, she was in the training room with Psyche and Ms. Marvel.

"Jan look out," Ms. Marvel said and Wasp dodged a missile.

Psyche took the missile and, with her telekinesis, aimed it back toward where it had come from. Lasers came from the walls and Wasp flew out of the way.

Ms. Marvel's hands glowed yellow and she aimed at where one of the lasers was coming from. She fired at laser and it blew up. Jan aimed her stingers at another one and zapped a second one. Psyche had a psionic shield placed around her, which made the laser bounce off her shield and hit the laser.

 _Simulation complete_ , came Jarvis' voice.

"So same time next week?" Psyche said drinking from her water bottle. Ms. Marvel nodded in agreement.

"Sounds good to me. What about you, Jan?" Carol said and Jan could see her friends eying her in her periphery. Taking a long swig of water Wasp nodded.

"Sounds good to me, I'll see you guys next week." And with that, Jan left before her teammates could comment on her distracted behavior. However, she could hear both women talking in low voices as she left.

Jan finished off her water before she headed for the shower. She felt her costume stick to her skin. Once she was undressed and the water was running, she enjoyed the warmth of it against her skin and through her hair.

 _It's in the stars_

 _It's been written in the scars on our hearts_

* * *

"Well I'd say that was fairly successful." Yellow Jacket said pulling off his mask. As the Quinjet landed he walked toward the mansion. He could hear his teammates converse behind him, but paid them no mind. He needed to speak to Jan, had since he had rejoined the team. He had meant to do it after they'd fought Mole Man, but Jan had rushed off.

"Do either of you know where Jan is?" Hank asked when he passed the training room. Both Ms. Marvel and Psyche pointed straight ahead of them and he followed.

He quickly showered then threw on a black sweater with khakis. Running a hand through his hair, he went to her room. Knocking lightly on the door, he was then greeted by Jan herself. Her hair was still slightly damp, which meant she must've recently finished showering as well. He smelled jasmine on her skin and he knew in that moment how much he had truly missed her.

She wore a yellow off-the shoulder blouse over top of a black tank top with thick spaghetti straps. Blue jeans hugged her hips and a silver necklace adorned her neck.

"Hey." She said standing in the doorway. "So did you guys find the Wrecking Crew?"

Hank knew she was trying to make small talk. And there was part of him that wanted to keep it at small talk. Because if he was being honest with himself, Hank really didn't want to have this conversation. The idea made him somewhat uncomfortable but he knew he had to try.

Hank shook his head, "No we didn't. We had to clean up one of their messes though." He said, "This isn't what I came here to talk about Jan. We need to talk about us, about what happened."

Jan left the door open as she went to her bed. It was a queen size with a yellow mattress, comforter, sheets, and blankets. I sat down next to her with my hands in my lap.

 _That we're not broken just bent_

 _And we can learn to love again_

* * *

"What even happened between us Hank?" Jan asked turning to face Hank, "And why did you leave that message? And why did you pretend to be dead?" Her tone was much harsher with the last two questions. She could see Hank struggling to explain and reached for his hand. He took hers, squeezing it gently.

Hank gave a sigh and shrugged, "I don't know.

"I don't believe you." Jan said and tried to remove her hand from his. Hank kept it, holding on tighter.

"The truth is, after our last conversation, I wasn't sure if you ever wanted to hear or see from me again. And I wanted to tell you about the Yellow Jacket suit, but I didn't know if you wanted to hear from me. That's why I left that message." He squeezed her hand and Jan squeezed back.

"That still doesn't explain why you faked your own death." Jan said and she could feel her heart hammering in her chest.

"Because I needed to be able to become Yellow Jacket without you and the other Avengers knowing so that I could prove to you all that I could do whatever it took. But now that you all know, it doesn't matter anymore." He said and Jan knew he was being honest.

There was a long silence between the two. Eventually, Hank broke the silence. He turned to face her with his hand still holding hers.

 _Oh, we can learn to love again_

 _Oh, we can learn to love again_

"So where does that leave us?" Hank looked into her eyes and if Jan was being honest, she didn't know. She wanted to be with him. She had waited this long.

"I-" Hank didn't give her time to finish. Instead, both of his hands to the sides of her face. He leaned down toward Jan and eventually his lips met hers. They were strong and warm and Jan responded to his touch. The kiss was filled with urgency but also need.

Jan deepened the kiss and Hank moved his hands to her waist. She then moved her hands to the back of his neck and enjoyed the electricity between them as they kissed. Before long she inserted her tongue gently into his mouth.

Hank wasn't sure what he had expected when he'd kissed Jan. Sure he had wanted to, but he didn't expect it to feel anything like this. The hands on her waist pulled her closer and he vaguely heard a voice in the doorway.

"Well it's about damn time." Came Hawkeye's voice and from the tone of his voice, it sounded like he was smirking.

"I'll say." Psyche echoed leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest.

The two immediately pulled apart, their faces entirely crimson. Both turned to see Hawkeye, Psyche, Ms. Marvel, Black Panther, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor. All gave their congratulations and then left as quickly as they'd come. Jan got up this time and closed the door. Sitting down on the bed facing Hank, her hands then went to the sides of Hank's face. She brought her mouth back to his and Hank brought his forehead to hers.

Hank closed his eyes, "Would you like to go out sometime?"

Jan giggled, "You name the time and place and I'm there." He could feel her heartbeat.

"Time, this Friday. Location, surprise." He said and brought his mouth gently back against hers. This kiss was more lustful than their first, but just as urgent.

 _Oh, oh that we're not broken just bent_

 _And we can learn to love again_

* * *

Author's Note: So I know last chapter was super short (the shortest chapter in this story) but I did that on purpose because I wanted this chapter to stand on its own. I probably could've included more action into it, but that's where the episode ended and I felt there was already enough action in the previous chapters (although feel free to comment if you disagree).

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Marvel (including this episode), the title of this chapter (Shakespeare although I don't think I have to ask his permission since he's been dead for hundreds of years) or even this song (Pink and whoever else wrote it does), except Psyche and any other OCs I have created


End file.
